Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
As orchards age, yields decline for a number of reasons and eventually the decision is made to remove the orchard. The age at which an orchard is pulled is a unique decision for each block, depending on yield, price, demand, and resources. Here are a number of recommended steps in removing an orchard, especially when preparing to replant that orchard into walnuts again. Continue reading
Harvest of the earliest walnut varieties has begun in some locations. Plan accordingly to obtain the ever-important harvest samples! Harvest samples can reveal a number of common sources of kernel, shell, and hull damage. These include damage caused by insect pests, diseases, and environmental/physiological factors. Here are information, tables, and photos that can help identify the sources of damage in your walnut harvest samples. Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for the Woodland, Davis, Dixon and Verona CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
A wet winter is when having an orchard planted on a deep, well-drained soil, or planting on berms, islands, or mounds can pay off. Some orchards on soils that are not well-drained or have been flooded can face difficulties when … Continue reading
Along with setting a decent prune crop begins the important work of supporting current crop growth and canopy health and return bloom for future production. Adequate orchard nutrition is critical to both these goals. Special care in soil and nutrient … Continue reading
Navel orangeworm is the key pest in almond. Nut feeding by this pest directly reduces yield and grower income. For example, 1% damage* in a 2500 kernel lb/acre crop = 25 kernel lb/acre loss (and $62.5/acre at a price of … Continue reading
Extreme weather at bloom can have damaging short and long term effect on prune growers in California and the entire California industry. Excessive heat (2004, 2005, 2007 and 2014) or prolonged cool, wet weather (2016) can dramatically reduce prune production. … Continue reading
Written by Allan Fulton, UCCE Farm Advisor Tehama, Glenn, Colusa and Shasta counties and Richard P. Buchner, UCCE Farm Advisor Emeritus, Tehama, Glenn and Butte counties. Overly aggressive, early irrigation can saturate soils and deprive roots of necessary oxygen. Without oxygen, … Continue reading
Spider mite management in almonds can be accomplished through one of two general approaches: starting with a prophylactic early-season treatment or using threshold-based treatment timings and conservation biological control. Both have pros and cons, and each method can be used … Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
So, every few weeks the question comes up of whether to install soil moisture meters which leads to the question of which to buy and install or have installed. And then come the questions of what do the readings mean and why aren’t the readings consistent? Or maybe this question arrives after the grower has installed the sensors or system and the values don’t conform to a known or knowable pattern. Continue reading
Adapted from: “Potassium Nutrition – Maintaining Optimum Levels by Replacing What You’ve Lost” by Katherine Jarvis-Shean. Originally published in Sacramento Valley Prune News, Fall 2014. Fall is an excellent time to manage the potassium (K) needs of prune trees. Assessment … Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
This is the weekly IPM pest update from Tehama county, with biofixes and trap activity for: codling moth, oriental fruit moth, peach twig borer, navel orangeworm, San Jose scale, and walnut scale. Continue reading